Still Unbroken
by Eleanor M
Summary: Song-fic. Jazz is ambushed by the Seekers then taken to the Decepticon base to be 'interrogated' by Soundwave and Shockwave. Upon escaping Jazz reflects on his experience by singing a song.


* Still Unbroken Lynryd Skynryd

* www . youtube watch ? v = ZMfzZxIt9bA

(remove spaces for the link. You must absolutely listen to this during or before reading this fic for maximum effect)

* Jazz-centric song-fic.

* * *

Jazz pushed his battered engine as hard as it could go. It whined in protest but he ignored it. Speeding out of the Decepticon's hidden base was **not** the way he wanted to start his weekend.

He was on his way to a rock concert with Blaster when 'Screamer and his trine ambushed them. They came from nowhere and shot up the highway Jazz and Blaster were driving on. Jazz remembered being met with static when he onlined his comm. to alert the Ark before his world went black.

It turned out that was because Thundercracker had clubbed him over the head with a motorbike. Jazz had onlined in an underground cell to the sound of the seekers bickering over it.

"Thunder?! Why did you knock him out? I wanted to hear him scream when I shot him with my null-ray!" Starscream screeched indignantly, waving his arms about.

"Star," his blue trinemate sighed. "Lord Megatron said he wanted him alive."

"Fine!" Starscream cried petulantly, stomping out the room in a huff.

 _They haven't realised I'm online yet_ Jazz thought. He quickly lowered his system output and offlined his visor. As Jazz expected, as soon as the Decepticon SIC left the room, the remaining two seekers turned to their prisoner.

"Hasn't the Auto-scum onlined yet?" Jazz recognised Skywarp's voice, not as screechy as Starscream's, nor as level as Thundercracker's. "Was that organic motorbike Thundercracker hit you with enough to break your fragile Autobot body?" The purple seeker taunted, leaning into Jazz' personal space.

"Leave him, Warp. Let's go energize."

Jazz onlined his visor when they both left. He noticed he was magnetised to an electric chair. Its use was made obvious by the deep dents in its metal and the soundproof walls that surrounded Jazz. There was no doubt about it.

Jazz was here to be tortured for information.

His suspicions were confirmed a few hours later when Soundwave with Ravage at his heels walked in.

"Autobot Third-in-Command Head of Special Operations Jazz: must tell Soundwave the information he requires."

"Ah don't think so, Soundy."

"Autobot Jazz: what is the location of the Autobot base?"

"Ah don't know. What's the location of the Decepticon base?"

"..." Soundwave was silent as he tried to use his telepathic talents to get into Jazz' processor. While Soundwave was busy getting past Jazz' firewalls the Autobot was planting a virus in the Decepticon's processor.

Soundwave retreated when it hit it's mark. Jazz smirked.

"Ah didn't think so. Ya can't get intah mah head and there's nothin' you can do ta make meh speak."

"Autobot Jazz: will regret that statement."

Then Soundwave activated the chair. A powerful jolt of electricity disabled all of Jazz' higher functions. He was completely paralysed apart from the ability to hear and vocalise.

"Autobot Jazz: where is Autobot base?" Soundwave monotoned.

"Nah, not gonna tell 'ya that. Ah don't think you can keep ah secret."

Soundwave sent another powerful jolt through Jazz which sent fire through his lines and fried his neural net.

"Ah, Ah." Jazz panted. "Pain ain't gonna make meh speak, sir."

"Maybe not when it is inflicted by Soundwave but what about me?"

Jazz had been so distracted by the pain that he never noticed Shockwave entering and creeping up behind him.

"I have extensively studied your frame type and as such, know exactly how to make you scream."

Shockwave ran his hands over one of Jazz' highly sensitive doorwings and squeezed. Jazz' scream echoed in the dark room. Shockwave's single optic shined in sadist delight.

"YOU CAN'T BREAK MEH!" Jazz shouted at his torturers.

Ravage growled and bit the Autobot's leg. Then Jazz couldn't think as Shockwave used his hands to bend both doorwings backwards then he attached a wire to each.

Jazz was not prepared for the levels of pure _agony_ that the electricity sent through him. He blacked out.

When he onlined again Jazz had no idea how long he had been out. His internal chronometer was completely destroyed. Soundwave and Shockwave were no longer there and he was completely numb.

As he raced out the 'cons base and into the desert Jazz thought of a song he had recorded in his databanks a month prior. He played it on his radio and cranked his speakers up.

 _Broken bones, broken hearts  
Stripped down and torn apart  
A little bit of rust - I'm still runnin'_

Jazz admired the truth of those lyrics with a self-deprecating sigh. He checked his internal speedometer.

A flashing warning appeared on his HUD -internal speedometer broken, seek external medical assistance-

Jazz scoffed as he shifted gear, pushing his engine even more.

 _Countin' miles, countin' tears  
Twisted roads, shiftin' gears  
Year after year - it's all or nothin'_

Jazz knew the chorus was coming so he sung along.

"But I'm not home, I'm not lost  
Still holdin' on to what I got  
Ain't much left  
No there's so much that's been stolen  
I guess I've lost everything I've had  
But I'm not dead, at least not yet  
Still alone, still alive, Still UNBROKEN  
I'm still alone, still alive,  
I'M STILL UNBROKEN!"

A herd of wild mustangs grazed by the side of the road. A dun stallion raised his head at Jazz' shout. He reared with an ear-splitting whinny when the Porsche roared past. The rest of his herd, lead by a paint mare started galloping alongside Jazz. He slowed down to admire them.

Never captured, never tamed  
Wild horses on the plains  
You can call me lost - I call it Freedom.

I feel the spirit in my soul  
It's something Lord I can't control

The horses were beginning to tire, he wished them farewell before he accelerated with the music. He shouted.

 _"I'M NEVER GIVIN' UP WHILE I'M STILL BREATHIN'!_

I'm not home, I'm not lost  
Still holdin' on to what I got  
Ain't much left  
Lord, there's so much that's been stolen  
I guess I've lost everything I've had  
I'm not dead, at least not yet  
Still alone, still alive, Still UNBROKEN  
I'm still alone, still alive,  
STILL UNBROKEN  
I'm still unbroken  
Still Unbroken"

Jazz kept on singing as he drove over a bridge, watching a bald eagle fly overhead.

Like the wind, like the rain  
It's all runnin' through my veins  
Like a river pouring down into the ocean

Jazz saw a sign to finally give him an indication of where he was.

 **Jasper, Nevada**. A long way from the Ark then. He drove swiftly through the small town, still singing.

"I'm out here on the streets  
But I'm standing on my feet  
Still alive, still alone, still UNBROKEN

I'm not home, I'm not lost  
Still holdin' on to what I got  
Ain't much left  
Lord, there's so much that's been STOLEN  
Guess I've lost everything I've had  
But I'm not dead, at least not yet

 _Still alive, still alone, Still UNBROKEN_

Jazz turned up his speakers to their maximum as he shouted out his pain through the finale.

 _" **I'm still alone, still alive,**  
_ ** _I'M STILL UNBROKEN_**

 **I'M STILL ALONE!**  
 **STILL ALIVE!**  
 **STILL UNBROKEN!**  
 **I'M STILL UNBROKEN!**

 **I ain't never going down!**  
 **I'M STILL UNBROKEN!**

 ** _Oooooooh-Ooooooh!_**

* * *

A/N Please tell me what you think! I listened to this song after reading _These Games We Play_ by _Peacewish_ and I thought of this and typed it up rather quickly, so forgive any mistakes.


End file.
